Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
12-31-1988
Degree Name
Master of Science in Civil Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
First Advisor
G. Fred Lee
Second Advisor
Michael Bruno
Abstract
An investigation was undertaken to examine the planktonic algal-related water quality of the Hudson/Raritan Estuary and northern New Jersey's coastal waters with respect to quantifying the relationship between the amount of phosphorus loading to the planktonic algal-related water quality responses. Recreational and commercial uses of northern New Jersey's coastal waters have at times been impaired by excessive growth of planktonic algae. Using population equivalents and export coefficients the amount of domestic wastewater and land runoff derived phosphoruscontributed to the Estuary was estimated. The P load contributed to the Estuary via the discharge of New York and New Jersey domestic wastewater effluents constituted 85 percent of the total P load. By practicing advanced wastewater treatment it is possible to remove 90 percent of the P from domestic wastewaters discharged to the Estuary, thus reducing the total P load to the Estuary by about 64 percent. The Vollenweider-OECD P load-planktonic algal response model was found to be applicable to the Hudson/Raritan Estuary system. Using this model it was predicted that the planktonic chlorophyll concentration in the waters in the area of the Sandy Hook - Rockaway Point transect could be reduced from about 15 to 7 ug/L if 90 percent of the P from domestic wastewaters discharged to the Estuary was removed. This would constitute a noticeable improvement in the eutrophication-related water quality in these waters.
Recommended Citation
Gautreau, Ron, "The evaluation of the impact of reducing the domestic wastewater phosphorus on the algal-related water quality of the Hudson/Raritan Estuary and Northern New Jersey's coastal waters" (1988). Theses. 3077.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/3077
